Nokia has prepared a new clamshell for the fans of the stylish phones. The phone features a TFT display and an exceptionally comfortable keypad. It plays MP3 files as well. Yet, the number of minuses is somewhat high: Nokia 6060 does not have an external display, its antenna sticks out and the polyphonic sound is low-quality. There is however one thing that this phone does not lack for sure - it literally exudes charisma.

Key characteristics

Elegant design

Large functional keys

Comfortable keypad

TFT display

MP3 ringtones

Main disadvantages

No outer display

External antenna

GPRS Class 6 only

Limited communication options

Low-quality polyphonic ringing

In June this year Nokia launched four new GSM mobile phones at once. Among them was the clamshell we are presenting you today, Nokia 6060. It is made to meet the demand of all users, who long for style and good functionality. The phone does not have a camera. Yet, I have no fear that it will suffer lack of attention.

Official photos of Nokia 6060

Small, but with external antenna

Nokia 6060 has a body of 85 × 44 × 24 mm. The quoted height does not include the antenna, which is 1.5 cm long. On one hand, mobiles with antennas seem to be loosing popularity nowadays. On the other hand, there is a certain group of customers, who are looking for exactly this type of phones.

Live pictures of Nokia 6060

Whatsoever, we decided to classify the presence of an external antenna as a minus for Nokia 6060, mainly because in today's mobile world it is no more a problem for a built-in antenna to achieve a high-quality signal reception. The one of Nokia 6060 seems quite easy to break and what's more, it creates mysterious bulges. The phone weighs 93 grams. Although we can effortlessly find even lighter clamshells on the market, this Nokia model still belongs to the group of the small and light ones.

Nokia 6060 open

The phone has been presented in two color versions. Both are marked by a solid chromium-covered frame, but differ in the design of the covers. The latter can be either black or silver. I admit that the silver version corresponds better with my gusto, most of all because the black plastic material used in the other is glossy and reflects every finger print. Not to mention the fact that the surrounding chromium frame does not look that cheap when placed next to the silver cover.

Nokia 6060 in a palm  comparing phone's size with a credit card

Red alert

Let's pay a little bit more attention to outlook of the phone. The most attractive element on its front upper part is the narrow red strip of the status LED. The diode emits white light. What adds the magenta shade is the tiny red plate placed under the small glass cover. The LED is very strong. It can be seen even at daylight. Good news is that there is no need to turn Nokia 6060 face down at night, as it happens with some mobiles with the so called "disco lights".

There is a status LED on the front upper part of the phone...

The pity here is that the LED is not equipped with different color for incoming message or missed call alerts. It just keeps on blinking in silence in one and the same way, no matter what comes in. When the phone rings, it blinks twice and then takes a long break before it repeats the alert. Well pals, there is no doubt that you will get used to Nokia's functional system. We have seen smarter phones though, haven't we?

... it blinks in red

The sides of the phone are perfectly unoccupied. There is no wavy element, no control key, no volume button...The bottom part is the only exception, being equipped with two connectors - the charger and the handsfree set ones. Between the connectors is the Plug-and-play slot, which Nokia first promoted as a new alternative interface to co-exist with Pop-Port. At the same time, by this very moment Nokia has not manufactured a cable to serve Plug-and-Play. Or this connector has been elaborated for service aim only? Why has it been given such a "multimedia" name then?

Nokia 6060 from all sides

The loud speaker is embedded somewhat deeper on the opposite side of the body, right next to the antenna. The speaker is secured by a fine grid. When you switch to the built-in handsfree while in the middle of a phone call, the sound performance is not only quiet, but is also accompanied by an unpleasant hissing noise, if set a bit louder.

Outer antenna and loud speaker's grid

Breathing silently behind the back cover is the Li-Ion accumulator, with a capacity of 760 mAh and a maximum stand-by of 400 hours or 210 minutes of talk time. Unfortunately, I have not had the time to test the phone thoroughly in order to confirm if those numbers are true or false. I guess, however, that the realistic times are approximately half the ones officially published.

Open again and again

Once the opposition of the connecting spring has been broken down, the display lights up, the second part of its mechanism gets activated and picks off the upper wing of the shell upwards. In order that the closing back-move is safe, there are two rubber spring bumpers at the corners of the phone, just below the keypad.

There are two tiny rubber spring bumpers under the keypad

As for the keys - they are praiseworthy. Even though they are only barely protruded, they are comfortable and decent. They are made of hard plastic. They all are easy-to-press and react properly without exception. Nokia 6060 has apparently followed the example of the 6030 model it has copied its large control keys, whose main characteristic is the extremely low uplift. As a result, work with this phone is a pure pleasure.

Main control buttons are really big and comfortable  buttons stand out only as much as it is necessary

The entire inside part of the phone is designed in black. It looks really good. The surface is matt, so finger prints are not visible. The overall impression is only disturbed by the main four-way control key with its confirming middle part.

Keypad's backlighting is blue-white and is strong enough where it is most necessary: below number and letter keys. Every three horizontally located keys are light-framed. A bit less light intensity has been conferred on the call-control keys, the context keys and the main control button.

Keypad in the dark

The display in Nokia 6060 is 35 mm high and 28 mm wide. It has been made with the help of TFT active technology and is able to show 65K colors. In terms of picture quality it hits the current middle class. 128 × 160 pixels on such a big surface is not much, but is enough. The display is especially easy-to-read in direct sun light.

Display at daylight  and in the dark

The lack of external display is quite significant disadvantage. You will need to open the phone almost constantly - an action that may turn to be especially unpleasant, if done with one hand. If you do not open it, you will not be able to see who has called you, nor will you quickly read a newly received message. At the same time, the market is rife with competitors with two displays, all in the same price category.